Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Most of the votes for D.C. requested that it be held right after the 2012 International AIDS Conference (IAC) which runs from July 22-27. So, we now need to select the dates. The 27th is on a Friday. Typically, AMG starts on Wednesday or Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Please provide your date preferences. Whether you want AMG 2012 to start on Wednesday, July 25th (overlapping a couple of days with IAC) and go through July 29th or start on Friday, July 27th (when IAC concludes) and conclude on Tuesday, July 31st, or if there are other date suggestions based on IAC (such as before IAC begins on Monday, July 22nd - which would start AMG 2012 around Wednesday, July 17th and conclude on July 21st - the day before IAC starts) or other preferences.

Let's try to get thoughts on date preferences in and finalized by November 24th (next Thursday).

I guess for me the Thursday night, Jul. 26 thru the Monday or Tuesday following would be best, but as always I'm quite flexible...And the line forms to the left of course. So I voted for 7/27-7/31 in Phil's poll. Hope we will find a decent hotel that folks can live with, I know we won't get the space we got in other venues but something along the lines of the hotel in Boston would probably be OK since it is Washington. It would be nice to be in town, near the subway and not outside town like in College Park, Maryland but again we shall vote.

Jody

« Last Edit: November 17, 2011, 07:14:50 PM by Jody »

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

Hi Jody and All -Having been to Washington DC twice in the past two months and having visited there often in the past 8 years and lived there for a couple years a while back - I am familiar with a pretty good number of hotels.

While some can be quite pricey - there are also some great deals at some well-known, upper name hotels -

One that comes to mind that I will check out is the Hyatt Arlington - it is just across the bridge from Georgetown - and literally 1/2 a block from the Roslyn metro - one stop from Georgetown/Foggy Bottom area - and about three stops (10-15 minutes tops) from DuPont Circle.

There are also some great hotels near Metro Center - where all the Metro trains go - as well as Adams Morgan and DuPont Circle.

I'm sure that Dennis - our AMG Coordinator from many previous AMGs and hotel negotiator extraordinaire can also get us some deals. I also am thinking about contacting NAPWA (National Association of People with AIDS and/or National Minority AIDS Council - both based in DC -- who probably both book hotels for large groups on a regular basis - to see if they can use their connections to get us some good rates.

We will definitely be cognizant of cost, location, and proximity to public transportation, as well as other amenities they can offer when putting up hotels for member consideration and voting.

Thanks Phil for your great input. We are blessed to always have folks who are more familiar with the AMG locations who help us all get around and get to great interesting and fun places. I have been to Washington five or six times but am only so so at getting around myself outside of a few areas. I stayed at the Capital Suites Hotel once in the early 90's, I don't know if it is still called that, it had decent location, I shared with a couple of friends so I forget how expensive it was.

Anyway, your input, the usual fabulous magic of Dennis and the ideas from others will be great. Looking forward already. We ALWAYS get great weather at AMG, it's the law!!! So the usual heat of DC in late July shall be replaced with mild, lovely mid-summer weather. ONLY EIGHT MONTHS!!!

Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

I have work commitments for the Friday, July 27 and Friday, August 3 which will jeopardize my ability to attend this year's gathering unless it moves earlier in July or a week later in August. I know I can't do anything about July 27, but it may be possible for me to get out of the Aug 3 commitment. In San Francisco, I joined the group on Saturday, but really missed out on the Memorial Service and the Meet and Greet...I would hate to miss that again. I will keep an eye of the discussion and see what other concerns regarding dates come up.

do you have to stay at the host hotel, the reason i ask is i get about a 70 percet discount at marriott properies, so i may do that and if my friend doesn't decide to come then someone can stay with me no problemo.

Any date is fine with me since we have enough notice. I certainly hope we can accommodate Gary's schedule. I'd hate to miss his speech. He was my first and I'll always have that memory, but I'd like some more.

I hope that there will be some accommodations for disabled folks, both Bob & I just cannot walk around that far, as he walks w/ a Cain and has ( Congestive Heart Failure=CHF ) and I need a restroom near-by very often, ( I have GI-disease and my Neuropathy kinka hinders me), so I'm hoping for some shuttle buses or something like that......anyone know? THANKS in Advance

Logged

"it's so nice to be insane, cause no-one ask you to explain" Helen Reddy cc 1974

Any date is fine with me since we have enough notice. I certainly hope we can accommodate Gary's schedule. I'd hate to miss his speech. He was my first and I'll always have that memory, but I'd like some more.

Wolfie

Me too ! I also want to see Jan I am so looking forward to going Washington ! YIPPIE !

I have work commitments for the Friday, July 27 and Friday, August 3 which will jeopardize my ability to attend this year's gathering unless it moves earlier in July or a week later in August. I know I can't do anything about July 27, but it may be possible for me to get out of the Aug 3 commitment. In San Francisco, I joined the group on Saturday, but really missed out on the Memorial Service and the Meet and Greet...I would hate to miss that again. I will keep an eye of the discussion and see what other concerns regarding dates come up.

Gary

If Gary is not going then I am not going (throws temper tantrum).

Gary, if Im reading this correctly then the 17th-21st is the best option for you? let me know and I will vote where you want me too.

Gary, if Im reading this correctly then the 17th-21st is the best option for you? let me know and I will vote where you want me too.

-Will

My goodness! Well, the 17th-21st poses no conflicts for me. Also, the option beginning on the 27th may work for me even though I cannot arrive until the morning of the 28th. That option envisions a different start date than our previous AMGs (although I have no problem with that.) I can easily be in DC by lunch time on the 28th.

I am touched by the number of people who are concerned about my work conflicts. Thanks!

OK, now I'm starting to get excited again. As much fun as I had in Seattle, the memorial service meant more to me than I can ever express. To resolve so many years of internal conflict in such a short period surrounded by good friends was invaluable. I broke so many barriers with that event and hope others consider it.

I won't be attending this years AMG or the IAC, but I would just like to say if it's at all possible, and if everyone agrees then I think the dates that Gary can attend should be given serious thought, without him the Memorial Service wouldn't be the same...he needs to be there for the Memorial...just my 2 cents worth.

I won't be attending this years AMG or the IAC, but I would just like to say if it's at all possible, and if everyone agrees then I think the dates that Gary can attend should be given serious thought, without him the Memorial Service wouldn't be the same...he needs to be there for the Memorial...just my 2 cents worth.

Aroha to you allJan

NO! We need you there. Who will keep us in line? What do we need to do to convince/persuade you?

I wouldn't think that the 17th (Tuesday through Saturday) would make much sense. Most people have off on weekends, and I'd hate to have it end right in the middle of the weekend. I'm also a bit surprised that two of the three choices listed above are before IAC, while the majority of the initial votes were for after IAC. Perhaps we should actually look and see what availability of accommodations will be. If I'm not mistaken, other events were taking place in Seattle which dictated our dates. I'm sure IAC bookings will run a couple of days on either side of the convention, so that may have some bearing. Perhaps choices like (1) the week before IAC, (2) the week after IAC, or (3) the second week after IAC would be better. Another option would be the first week in August, if that would work for most people. Of course, most of what I just wrote assumes nobody is attending IAC. If there are people who will be attending both, we'd probably need to know that.

Dearest Jan. I know what a huge amount of travel you have done to be at the AMG's and I for one am so happy you have chosen to do so. I know it has not been cheap either. But know you will be sorely missed and as Wolfie says things can change. But I understand Washington DC is incredibly far for you.

I am flexible about moving our times to accommodate Gary's schedule. He has done extraordinary work for our memorial ceremony each year. It wouldn't be the same without Gary or Jan.

Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

The dates provided are only suggestions - thus, the reason for the "Other" selection - and the ability to get reasonable accommodations will definitely weigh into dates selected (as it should). IAC runs from July 22-27th - so take that into account when suggesting dates before, during, or after it.

I will do some additional checking on hotel rates during various time frames and perhaps, others could do the same - this is the "preferences" thread - so, feel free to suggest dates that are preferred. The poll was just to narrow down some date ranges and can definitely be adjusted forward/backward.

IAC ends on July 27th (Friday). So, it is my guess that many of the hotels will be booked or priced higher since many attending may choose to stay through the weekend.

Airfare also needs to be considered when planning. It is usually cheaper to fly into your destination on a weekday rather than on a Fri/Sat/Sun.

But I agree with David. While throwing IAC into the mix of AMG sounds ideal, how many members are actually planning to attend IAC and AMG?

I did a quick search and found the following list of conventions being held around the time of AMG at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Other than IAC, I'm not sure how large each of these conferences are. However, August looks like a slow month for conventions.

I am hoping to go to IAC, so anytime AFTER IAC is best for me, because not only do I hope to go to the conference but I will be attending summer classes at my college which will run up until the 20th of July. Maybe the 28th through the 1st to accomondate Gary?

It is very touching that so many of you are trying to accommodate my work schedule. However, I think it is of primary importance that we have the AMG when "most" can attend. My difficulty is with those two Fridays following IAC. If we change the memorial service from Friday morning to a later morning (and that should actually be easy to do) I can arrive in DC before lunch on either of those two Saturdays (the last one in July or the first one in August.)

If the dates include a weekend, then Mim and I (and possibly Hubby) can drive up. We're only 4hrs away. We were in DC this past July and stayed across the river from DC in Arlington. The subway was 3 or 4 blocks away, but the hotel drove us there and picked us up when we returned. Just fair warning, though, DC in July is OPPRESSIVELY HOT!!

Dennis, depending on which hotels you are looking at, I have a 20% discount arrangement with several hotel chains. In addition to the discount, they also give 5% of the total checkout rate to Give Kids the World Village (our family just spent a week there in Nov.). I'm not sure how it would work with group rates / multiple rooms, but it may be something worth mentioning. If you're interested, pm me and I'll send you the details.

Hey minismom, how nice it is to see you post and that you may come to DC next summer. It would be great to see you folks and Washington is a great town for singles and families alike. We should be there for one full weekend, at least many of us should be, so I hope we can see you there! Hope your remarkable family has a great Christmas this year.

Love, Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

Dennis, depending on which hotels you are looking at, I have a 20% discount arrangement with several hotel chains. In addition to the discount, they also give 5% of the total checkout rate to Give Kids the World Village (our family just spent a week there in Nov.). I'm not sure how it would work with group rates / multiple rooms, but it may be something worth mentioning. If you're interested, pm me and I'll send you the details.

There's a very good reason for this, and it's an important consideration. Remember: Washington, D.C., is built on a swamp, and the month of August is usually hellacious. That's why anyone who can clears out of the city then, which is, I guess, perhaps something else to consider.

Logged

"No one will ever be free so long as there are pestilences."--Albert Camus, "The Plague"

"Mankind can never be free until the last brick in the last church falls on the head of the last priest."--Voltaire

The concerns about the weather in DC during late July/early August is THE reason I didn't vote for DC.

I went there as a child on a family holiday in late summer and the weather was absolutely unbearable. Remember, this is coming from a person who (at the time) lived in the Greater Cleveland area of Ohio and late summer is terribly hot and humid there because of Lake Erie, so it wasn't like I wasn't used to that type of weather. I vowed to never visit DC at that time of year again.

I can only imagine it would take an even bigger toll on me now that not only am I (much) older, but I also haven't experienced summer weather hotter than 73F or so (and where I live, 73F is a heat wave) in over twenty years. I think hot weather in DC would totally incapacitate me these days. It's not even so much the heat, it's the humidity.

I would have gone to Chicago (for example) in a heartbeat, but the thought of going to DC at the proposed time of year fills me with nothing but trepidation.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

There's a very good reason for this, and it's an important consideration. Remember: Washington, D.C., is built on a swamp, and the month of August is usually hellacious. That's why anyone who can clears out of the city then, which is, I guess, perhaps something else to consider.

A friend was a Congressional aide back before DC got air conditioning. She talks about how every summer they would pack up the office into huge black steamer trunks and Congress would just shut down for a couple of months as all the Members went back to their districts. (Although I can't imagine Brownsville TX was much better than DC in August)

But this was about the olden days when she told this story back in the early 90's (or maybe the late 80's?). Nowadays everything has air conditioning. I've had meetings in DC in August in recent years and it does seem emptier and a little slower-paced, but it is quite tolerable if you are a tourist.

I think August is a slow month for conventions because Members still traditionally view this as a period when it is politically acceptable to go on vacation, even though their offices don't shot down. And most of the conventions are for trade associations or professional associations that prefer to be in DC when Congress is in session, so they can organize lobbying visits during the conventions.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Last time I was in Chicago, the last week of July in 1999 it was 103 degrees and blackouts all over town! So I think anywhere east of the Mississippi is very hot and humid in July and August. We have always had great luck with the weather in all cities, maybe we will catch a break from the DC summer heat. But with museums, landmarks and all the other indoor stuff we should be OK. Hopefully Ann, we will get to see you finally in '13 and maybe we can do a Euro AMG!

Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

At least the subway system's station in DC are air conditioned, unlike NYC or Filthy. But any visit to DC you'll be outside walking a lot. Walking the full length of the Mall to see the Capitol, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial is a really, really long distance. Even a visit to Georgetown entails a lengthy walk from the Foggy Bottom station because those wealthy liberals in G-town refused to allow a subway station to be constructed there back in the 70's. At least the fag bars have a subway right in Dupont, so never fear, and Adams Morgan for the hipsters.

Oh, and don't forget to go to Annie's, the gay steakhouse (1609 17th St NW - Dupont Circle). On weekends it's open until 5:30 AM. It's been there for eons and kind of an institution. Nothing fancy, more like a nice diner. Though last time I was there in the late 90's I was on a date with a 6'4" guy that was in the army (or was he a Marine?) and he took that opportunity to inform me that he wasn't actually divorced from his wife. wtf... we'd had "the poz conversation" weeks before that and wouldn't you know it once I proclaimed myself it ended up that he was a filthy pozzie as well, which is why he was stationed in Arlington instead of somewhere overseas. Unfortunately he ended up being borderline psychotic and I had to dump his ass.

Yes well, I grew up in DC so all of you can butt out. OK, not in DC but in the burbs.

Richmond is worse.

Which is why I only venture out of my air conditioned house to go sit in my pool.

As a proud northerner, I can say it gets just as hot and humid in Boston as it does in Richmond. The difference is it goes on for a whole lot longer in Richmond than Boston. So........... DC won't be all that bad -- not too mention we don't spend tons of times outdoors during AMG anyway. There will plenty of museums to explore and bars to gather within.

We are still open to hearing suggestions on the date(s) - --- I do think that some preliminary checking can be done to see what hotel rates are for the "top preference" dates and also some other suggested dates.

Dennis is usually the "go to" person for this ----- I will see if he is up to it as I know that he has some other things going on right now that may limit his ability to check ---- others, can always feel free to do some checking (online or other methods as well) - after all, AMG is always member-driven.

I'll gladly do some preliminary checking. It will give me something to do to help keep my mind busy.

I'll check the dates of July 27 -31 time frame since that is what has the most votes thus far. If others can check the other proposed dates, then we can reconvene here, or in another thread, with what is available.

We are still open to hearing suggestions on the date(s) - --- I do think that some preliminary checking can be done to see what hotel rates are for the "top preference" dates and also some other suggested dates.

Dennis is usually the "go to" person for this ----- I will see if he is up to it as I know that he has some other things going on right now that may limit his ability to check ---- others, can always feel free to do some checking (online or other methods as well) - after all, AMG is always member-driven.

Family and I were in DC July 15 - 20 this past summer and I'm telling you that the heat was HORRIFIC! Not sure if we were in the middle of some bizzare heat wave, but it was nasty hot. Air conditioning everywhere? Sure the buildings had a/c, but that didn't help much when walking from the Supreme Court building to the Washington Monument. Don't get me started on the lack of a/c in the subways. Hot weather = hot tempers. Nights were no relief, either.

Speaking of Washington Monunument. If anyone wants to go, the only way to get in is with a time stamped ticket. Once inside, you can stay as long as you want, but they only take up a certain number of folks at a time. If you wait and get them in DC (don't recommend waiting, though), they are free. If you order them online and they will will be mailed to you, you'll pay $1.25. You can order up to 6 per address. For us the cost was worth it because we knew we'd all have tickets for the same time. If you want to get into the White House, you'd better start filling out the paperwork now - it takes 6mths to process.

Family and I were in DC July 15 - 20 this past summer and I'm telling you that the heat was HORRIFIC! Not sure if we were in the middle of some bizzare heat wave, but it was nasty hot.

That date period was, indeed, a horrific heat wave and way outside what is normal summer weather. It happened in Philly too, though only for 3 days. Basically that was the worst heat in 15 years -- IIRC the highs were ~ 104℉ with +90% humidity. DC in mid/late-July it's more likely to be ~93-95℉ with high humidity, but not as high as it was that weekend.